Conn. school shooting probe ends with gunman's motives unknown

NEWTOWN, Conn. - Around the time of the massacre of children at an elementary school in Connecticut last December, gunman Adam Lanza was living an isolated existence, communicating with his mother by email only - even though they lived in the same house.

A long-awaited state's attorney report Monday revealed few new details and left relatives of 20 children and six adults killed with no more knowledge about Lanza's motive.

But the report on the Dec. 14 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., described Lanza's "obsession with mass murders" especially the shootings in 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado. Lanza, 20, was also fascinated by firearms, and investigators found a check from his mother to buy a pistol as a Christmas gift, according to the 44-page report.

Nancy Lanza, who grew up in Kingston, N.H., and was a 1978 graduate of Sanborn Regional High School, had just returned from a visit to New Hampshire when her son murdered her Dec. 14 in their Newtown house before attacking the school. He ended the rampage by turning his gun on himself.

"The obvious question that remains is: 'Why did the shooter murder twenty-seven people, including twenty children?' Unfortunately, that question may never be answered conclusively," the report said.

The report portrays 20-year-old Lanza as a troubled man who "knew his conduct to be against the law. He had the ability to control his behavior to obtain the results he wanted, including his own death."

The report mentions people who encountered Lanza describing him as someone who had a dry sense of humor and enjoyed nature; others said he was a recluse. Investigators said there was evidence that Lanza planned the shootings, but did not discuss his plans with others.

No criminal prosecutions will be brought, the report said.

The investigation included a search of the Lanza home and interviews with those who knew him.

Lanza, who had been estranged from his father and older brother for about two years, kept a spreadsheet of mass murders that included information about each shooting.

Nancy Lanza left Kingston, N.H., in 1998 and moved to Newtown with her family, which included Adam, who was then 6, and his older brother, Ryan. She later divorced her husband, Peter.

According to the report released Monday, Adam Lanza would not allow anyone to enter his bedroom, refused to sleep in hotels, reacted badly to loud noises, disliked Christmas and birthdays and liked to play a video game called "Dance Dance Revolution" in addition to more violent fare.

His mother was preparing to sell the house and move to either Washington state or North Carolina, where her son would either take a job working with computers or enter a special school.

Nancy Lanza was concerned her son had not traveled anywhere for three months and "would only communicate with her by email."

In a series of emails to Newtown parents last week, John Reed, the town's interim schools superintendent, addressed the report's release and cautioned parents to be mindful of their children's emotional well-being.

"By supporting one another, we will work our way through these challenging circumstances," Reed said.

While the large informal memorials that arose in this town of 27,000 residents in the days after the shooting have long been removed, small commemorations are sprinkled throughout the sprawling town.

In a message on Newtown's official blog, First Selectman Pat Llodra said the release of the report and next month's anniversary "has the potential to feel like a body blow - it takes our breath away and we struggle to regain our balance."

The shooting restarted a national debate about gun laws and care for the mentally ill.

Connecticut passed sweeping changes to its gun laws but a similar effort failed in the U.S. Congress. Lanza used a Bushmaster rifle, a Glock pistol and a Savage Mark II rifle in the shootings.

The report does not name the 20 children killed, discuss the content of the emergency calls made from the school or describe witness testimony about what was seen and heard in the classrooms where the killings took place.

Connecticut passed a law earlier this year that said some evidence from the state's investigation will never be made available to the public. The law prohibits the release of photographs, film, video and other visual images showing a homicide victim if they can "reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy of the victim or the victim's surviving family members."